


Oct. 14th, “I Can’t Come Back!”

by Morpheus626



Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25063231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morpheus626/pseuds/Morpheus626
Summary: Fictober 2019.Rewrote the train scene, or a version of it again, because my original piece for this prompt unfortunately lost momentum. This, however, I think is still pretty good. And really, who’s going to say no to more sweet and loving Sledgefu, right?
Relationships: Merriell "Snafu" Shelton/Eugene Sledge
Kudos: 6





	Oct. 14th, “I Can’t Come Back!”

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Some PTSD symptoms do come up in this, and we see some struggling with it, but nothing too heavy or overtly explicit.

“I can’t,” Snafu’s voice was stiff, his eyes wide as he backed up into the train. 

“Can’t what?” Eugene asked as Snafu pushed past him and back into their train car. “This is the right stop, New Orleans…what’s wrong?” 

“I can’t come back,” Snafu whispered, horrified. “Can’t come back here, can’t…what the hell do I do here?” 

Eugene moved Snafu gently by the arm back to a seat, moving their bags out of the way of the other departing soldiers after he was sat. 

“We get off the train, and we figure that out together,” he replied, sitting beside Snafu, holding onto his shaking hands. Snafu had woken him, reluctantly at first, as they’d pulled up, but it had given him the chance to tell Snafu everything-how he wanted to stay with him, even if it meant being just them in a city he didn’t know. It would all be okay as long as they could be together.

“What if we can’t. What if…I don’t even know, but I just…Eugene, a few months ago I was digging teeth out of corpses…my god, why was I doing that, how did I do that?” Snafu wept. 

A few of the other soldiers stopped to see what was going on, but Eugene urged them on quietly. 

“It’s gonna be okay, but we have to get off now. I can help you, but you gotta help me do that,” he soothed, slowly pulling Snafu up out of the seat as he stood. 

Snafu nodded miserably, the tears running fast and fierce down his face. 

“Okay. We’re gonna get off the train, then find somewhere to be for the night. We can rest, and talk and do whatever else you want, okay? But we’re gonna be fine,” he continued. He wanted to give him more time, to let him calm down before making him move, but the train would pull away with them still on it if he didn’t. 

Snafu clung to him like a man drowning as they got off of the train, shouldering his bag loosely as they walked into the station. 

“You wanna find family tonight? Or…” 

Snafu shook his head. “Not many around anyway. And not yet. I can’t face them, I can’t…” 

“Okay. We can find a hotel,” he said, all while unsure as to how to begin that search, or if there would even be a room available. 

“You boys need some help?” an older gentleman, in uniform himself for the Navy, walked over. 

“I…I’m not from here, but my friend is. He’s in a bad way and we just need to find a hotel for the night,” Eugene said as Snafu leaned into his shoulder, sobbing softly. 

The man just nodded. “Some of my buddies coming home were in a similar way. Tell you what: my wife can stay here and wait for our boy to get off the train, and I’ll get you two set up at a hotel down the road I know of. Nice place, clean, and I know the manager. Can get you a lower rate for the night, since I know I didn’t have too much on me when I first got back home.” 

“We’d greatly appreciate it; thank you,” Eugene breathed a sigh of relief as the man went back to his wife to update her, then ran right back and led them out of the station and on down the street. 

“Here, give me that,” the man said to Snafu, taking his bag from him. “You just keep those feet moving, soldier. Focus on that, soon enough we’ll have you somewhere quiet where you can relax.” 

It helped having Snafu’s bag off of him, then Eugene had only to help hold up Snafu and his own bag on his other shoulder. He wasn’t worried about carrying his own bag at all now, any pain or bruising was going to be accidental from Snafu, who had one arm around his waist and another holding onto his shoulder so tight his knuckles were white. 

“Thank you, Mr…” 

“Just call me Tom,” the man interrupted. “No need for rank or anything else. Just here now.” 

He turned them into what looked like more of a big house than a hotel, but the inside was all dark wood and gold detailing, with a concierge desk just before the reception desk. 

“Let Steven know I’ve got two tired men, newly home, in need of a room for the night, maybe the next few as well,” he told the woman at the front desk. 

She looked past Tom to them, and nodded. “Room 408. I’ll let Steven know, and we’ll call up there to get their details.” 

Tom turned and handed Eugene the room key, and gently gave Snafu back his bag. “You boys head on up, get some rest. No need to rush the return home, you hear? You made it, in one piece, even though it might not feel real just yet. Give yourselves time. And if you need anything in the future, even just the ear of someone who’s been through it, give me a call.” 

He handed a small slip of paper with his phone number on it to Snafu, who finally pulled his face from Eugene’s shoulder to nod at Tom. 

“Thank you sir,” he shakily stood up from Eugene and snapped to attention, saluting as tears still ran down his face. 

Tom had tears in his eyes now as well. “At ease. You get some sleep, and take it easy. I know…it doesn’t always feel right. Being back. It won’t ever feel the exact same, but you’re gonna find your place again.” 

He wrapped Snafu in a hug, then did the same to Eugene before heading back outside. 

Snafu was moving slow, but walked on his own to the room. 

“Thank you,” he said, his voice shaking through the tears as he dropped his bag and sat on the bed. “For gettin’ me in here. Gettin’ us help. We’ll have to find a way to thank him…” 

“We will,” Eugene assured him, joining him on the bed. “For now, how about we get out of these uniforms, and just rest, hm?” 

They undressed each other slowly, until they were down to just their underwear. Any other night, more might have happened, finally having the chance to be alone together. But tonight it was enough to lay together, Snafu’s head resting against his shoulder, skin warm against his. In the morning, he’d worry about communicating with the front desk, figuring out where they might go next. 

For now, they were here, alive and warm together, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
